SB Reeflights SBox Sprite vs Nanobox Tide Mini vs Reef Breeders Nanolight

[snakeybird]

Confession time. The last time I set up a nano tank was in 2000, and CFL's were the hot new item. I ran my 10 gallon FOWLR (well, it had mushrooms) for 9 years, and took it down when my original clownfish expired. After a 7 year hiatus, I am wanting to set up a 10 gallon again, and am completely confused about the new world of LED's. I promise, I have looked, and read and read on the forums, and the options seem endless.

 

Have any of you used the SB Reeflights SBox Sprite, Nanobox Tide Mini, or Reef Breeders Nanolight on a 10ish gallon reef? They all seem, in theory, like potentially decent options from decent US companies for a 10 gallon tank, depending on what one wants to keep coralwise.

 

Who has used these lights, what is you opinion, and based on experience, what do you think would be a good choice for a 10 gallon softies and LPS reef?

 

Please also feel free to suggest other alternatives that I have not run across yet, for a 10 gallon, but keep it to LED's please.

[aviator300]

Confession time. The last time I set up a nano tank was in 2000, and CFL's were the hot new item. I ran my 10 gallon FOWLR (well, it had mushrooms) for 9 years, and took it down when my original clownfish expired. After a 7 year hiatus, I am wanting to set up a 10 gallon again, and am completely confused about the new world. of LED's. I promise, I have looked read and read on the forums, and the options seem endless.

 

Have any of you used the SB Reeflights SBox Sprite, Nanobox Tide Mini, or Reef Breeders Nanolight on a 10ish gallon reef? They all seem, in theory, like potentially decent options from decent US companies for a 10 gallon tank, depending on what one wants to keep coralwise.

 

Who has used these lights, what is you opinion, and based on experience, what do you think would be a good choice for a 10 gallon softies and LPS reef?

 

Please also feel free to suggest other alternatives that I have not run across yet, for a 10 gallon, but keep it to LED's please.

VERY EASY CHOICE...NANO BOX MINI TIDE AND HERE'S WHY

 

Both Reef Breaders and SB Reef lights are both a form of off brand lights known as Chinese Black boxes.

They are both built by factories in China using generally inferior, less expensive components. Sometimes they are shipped to US suppliers completely assembled and sometimes not. These type of lights go by many various names but are basically the same. I don't know (for a fact) that SB lights are in this category but they have all the unique appearences of the "Black Box" lights and on SB Reeflights website, they say "Starting in February 2016, most models will be warehoused in the USA cutting shipping times almost in half " and it goes on to say " Should we experience above normal demand and run out of stock stateside, lights will ship direct from the factory with times noted above". This sure sounds to me like they are manufactured over seas (China?)

It's the same situation with ReefBreeders although they seem to be a more established US distributer

 

I have used these lights in the past and they do work for the lower price but just aren't the high quality you get from NanoBox.

 

NanoBox lights are hand made By Dave Fasson and an assistant or two at his company in North Carolina using high quality American made (for the most part) components.

Customer service is provided my sending Dave an Email and getting an answer usually the same day.

I have 2 of his lights in use right now and have purchased 5 or six of them over the last 3 years. In my opinion, there are none better.

[Marc.The.Shark]

^+1

[snakeybird]

Thanks, folks.

 

What about Kessil? Seems to be at a similar price point to NanoBox.

[DaveFason]

Thanks, folks.

 

What about Kessil? Seems to be at a similar price point to NanoBox.

All great lights. Being that I make the NanoBox units one thing that separates the two is more channels of control, tank mount standard and built in wireless control.

 

Hope this helps in any way!

-Dave

[Icedgxe]

+1 for the nanobox. Beautiful spectrum, excellent build quality, and great control with the bluefish app. The other think is form factor. The tide is a great looking light that is customizable. The others are great lights as well, but I think the tide edges them out.

Here's mine over my Nuvo 10.

 

[snakeybird]

Thanks for all the feedback! This forum is awesome. Wish I had been a member here for 15 years in addition to being on reef central since 2001:)

 

I am assuming all these lights can be used without a controller (not sure about Kessil)? I completely understand that a lot of reefers love their tank controllers, but personally I am into minimizing gadgets in tanks and won't be using a smart phone to manage my electronics.